Classification- Types of Learning and memory physiology | CNS physiology mbbs 1st year

Summary

This video explains the basics of learning and memory. It discusses the types of memory, including working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory, and highlights how they differ in terms of information storage duration. The video also introduces implicit and explicit memory, describing their roles in storing skills, facts, and experiences. The importance of polymodal association areas in synthesizing new and existing information is emphasized, as well as how memories are distributed across the brain. The video concludes by illustrating how memory recall connects different types of stored knowledge.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Learning involves acquiring knowledge, while memory involves encoding, storing, and retrieving that knowledge when needed.
• 📚 Memory is classified into three types: working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory, with the distinction being the duration for which information is stored.
• 📝 Working memory is a type of short-term memory used for manipulating information to complete tasks, like solving an equation.
• 👁️‍🗨️ Learning occurs through three main pathways: visual, auditory, and somatic (touch). These pathways interact rather than work in isolation.
• 🧩 The synthesis of new information with existing knowledge differs between individuals, depending on their prior knowledge and experiences.
• 🔍 Memory is further classified into two broad categories: implicit (non-declarative) and explicit (declarative) memory, with implicit memory being unconscious and explicit requiring conscious recall.
• 🚴 Implicit memory involves skills and procedures (e.g., cycling) and is stored in areas like the basal ganglia and cerebellum.
• 🧠 Explicit memory is divided into episodic memory (events and experiences) and semantic memory (facts and concepts), both stored in distributed regions of the neocortex via the hippocampus.
• 🔗 Priming, procedural skills, and associative learning are examples of implicit memory, while episodic and semantic memories are examples of explicit memory.
• 🐘 Information is stored in a distributed manner across the brain, with different aspects (e.g., sound, appearance) stored in different regions but connected to allow holistic recall.

Q & A

What is the primary difference between learning and memory?

Learning involves acquiring new knowledge, while memory involves encoding, storing, and retrieving that knowledge when needed.

How is memory classified based on the duration information can be stored?

Memory is classified into three types: working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Long-term memory stores information for years, while working and short-term memory retain information temporarily.

What role does working memory play in learning?

Working memory, a type of short-term memory, is used to manipulate information for completing tasks. For example, it helps in solving problems by retrieving information from long-term memory and using it in the current context.

How do humans acquire new information through different pathways?

Humans acquire information through three primary pathways: visual (seeing), auditory (listening), and somatic (touching or interacting with the environment). Typically, we use multiple pathways simultaneously to learn new things.

What are the three polymodal association areas where new information is synthesized?

The three polymodal association areas are the prefrontal cortex, limbic system, and parieto-occipito-temporal cortexes. These areas integrate new information with prior knowledge stored in long-term memory.

How does prior knowledge affect the synthesis of new information?

Individuals with prior knowledge on a topic can retrieve related information from their memory and synthesize new information more effectively. Those without prior knowledge may synthesize new information based on unrelated but available knowledge.

What is the difference between implicit and explicit memory?

Implicit memory (non-declarative) is unconscious and difficult to express verbally, like procedural skills. Explicit memory (declarative) involves conscious recall of facts and events, such as knowledge about places or people.

What are the subtypes of implicit memory?

Implicit memory includes four subtypes: priming, procedural skills and habits, associative learning (classical and operant conditioning), and non-associative learning (habituation and sensitization).

What are the subtypes of explicit memory?

Explicit memory is divided into episodic memory (events and personal experiences) and semantic memory (facts, concepts, and meanings of words).

How is information stored in the brain when we think about an object like an elephant?

Information about an object is stored in different areas of the brain. For example, an elephant's sound, appearance, and habitat are stored in separate areas, but they are connected through neural pathways, allowing for holistic recall.